1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems for increasing ease of access into cargo areas present on motorized vehicles including pickup trucks in some embodiments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of motorized vehicles feature a cargo area, including pickup trucks having a cargo box. The cargo box (or cargo bed as it is sometimes called) is generally comprised of a floor bounded by a front wall, two side walls and an operable tailgate in the rear. The tailgates on most pickup trucks generally open to a horizontal position to allow easy access for the loading or unloading of cargo and close to a vertical position to retain the cargo within the cargo box.
Most pickup trucks are now manufactured without exterior running boards along the sides of the cargo box. Consequently, access into and out of the cargo box is typically accomplished by stepping on top of the rear bumper or on top of the tailgate when it is open or in the horizontal position. However, recent trends in pickup truck design have raised the level of the rear bumper and the tailgate to such a height above the ground that it is now difficult to enter & exit the cargo box of most pickup trucks. This is particularly true of four wheel drive models which often have larger tires and higher ground clearance than other models.
Many schemes involving grab handles have been developed to provide enhanced stability to personnel as they enter and exit the cargo box of a pickup truck. However, most of the grab handles presented in the prior art are mounted on the tailgate and often create an obstruction when loading or unloading cargo. For example, the pivoting grab handle shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,530,619 could not be utilized when loading or unloading standard size sheets of plywood or other large bulky objects over the tailgate, because it would create an obstruction. Furthermore, grab handles mounted on the tailgate cannot be utilized when the tailgate is closed and they are often rendered inoperable if the tailgate is damaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,401,798 shows a grab handle mounted to the side wall of the cargo box, but it is pivotally attached at the bottom and must be folded down onto the bed of the cargo box to be placed in the stowed position. Furthermore, this particular grab handle is connected to the tailgate by a cable which is meant to raise the grab handle as the tailgate is opened (or lowered) to the horizontal position, thereby making it difficult or impossible to open the tailgate if any cargo was laid on top or against this grab handle. Consequently, any cargo resting on top or against this particular grab handle would have to be cleared away while standing on the ground outside the cargo box, before the tailgate could be opened and the grab handle could be utilized to enter the cargo box.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0104721 A1 shows a telescoping grab handle pivotally attached to a tailgate step. The telescoping portion thereof utilizes an internal spring pin (item 88) to lock the grab handle in the extended position. Such spring pins are well know in the art and are commonly utilized to adjust the height of walking canes and crutches, but only on an occasional basis to suit the needs of the individual using the device. However, utilizing a spring pin device on a routine basis would be awkward and cumbersome because two free hands are usually required to adjust telescoping devices which operate with a spring pin. One hand is required to depress the spring pin, while the other hand is required to slide the telescoping member. Furthermore, this grab handle is mounted on the tailgate and would also be subject to the aforementioned disadvantages.
Thus, there is a dire need in the automotive market to provide a grab handle which will not interfere with cargo handling, yet still provide assistance and enhanced stability to personnel when entering or exiting the cargo box of a pickup truck. In addition, the grab handle must be simple to use, durable and maintenance free with a minimum of moving parts, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install on a wide variety of pickup trucks.